Tips On How To Buy The Best Jewelry

While it can be fun to shop for jewelry, things can get stressful when you are in the market for an expensive item of jewelry. The many different materials used in jewelry making can greatly influence the price of a piece. An uneducated customer might pay too much. Learn to make smart jewelry purchases with these pointers.

Don’t clean your jewelry in harsh household chemicals like ammonia, bleach or turpentine. These chemicals can turn stones dull and even erode the enamel.

Do some research on the gem in your new piece of jewelry before you buy. Gemstones now come in natural as well as synthetic and imitation types. Imitation gems are made out of glass or plastic; natural and synthetic gems both consist of real gemstone. The difference here, however, is that synthetic is man-made in a laboratory while natural is found buried in the earth.

When you are shopping for jewelry in sterling silver, be sure to examine the piece closely, and take along a magnet for metal testing. You can detect fake sterling silver with the magnet, since non-precious metals are drawn to magnets. Sterling silver should always bear a stamp that says Sterling, Ster. or .925. If you don’t see a stamp of any sort on a piece, then be wary of whether it is actually silver or not.

You need to pay attention to care and maintenance if you intend to build up a costume jewelry collection. Costume jewelery pieces can be expensive but they are not worth the investment if they look too old. Maintaining a piece of costume jewelry’s condition preserves the beauty and value that attracted you in the first place.

For jewelry to stay shiny and new-looking, it is important to keep it from tarnishing. When you are close to water, do not wear your jewelry. Metals will often tarnish or rust when in contact with water. A single coat of transparent nail polish may help protect certain types of metal.

Before you purchase gemstone jewelry, you should first determine if and how the stone was treated. You will have to treat different gemstones with different kinds of care. Cleaning a treated gem using the wrong chemical might damage it.

Now you see how important it is to research jewelry in order to buy or sell it effectively. We have provided you with some great tips that offer a solid starting point. Use them well and you’ll be on the way to successful purchases and sales.